The final game of a packed weekend of Easter entertainment was the Monday night ViaplaySports offering between the Halifax Panthers and Bradford Bulls as the two great West Yorkshire Rivals met as fifth took on sixth for the honour of joining fourth place Widnes Vikings on ten league points after recording five wins in their opening eight fixtures.
The Panthers were favourites for the win but both sides picked up victories last time out and both sides have won three out of their last four outings.
After some sensational games this weekend, there was an expectation that the Championship would serve up the perfect Easter Monday treat to round off the weekend in great style.
Great early Bulls pressure with a couple of sets in the Panthers twenty saw the first try on four minutes when Sam Walters chased a grubber kick to goal and dived on the ball for the first four points. Declan Patton added the conversion for a perfect start for the Bulls.
Following a poor decision calling Bradford in touch when the video replays clearly showed that they weren’t, the Panthers opened their account when Brandon Moore burrowed under the Bulls defenders to score under the sticks. Joe Keyes added a simple conversion, and the scores were square after twelve minutes.
With the rain pouring down the game turned into a real arm wrestle.
Bodene Thompson went close for Bradford on twenty-five but on the next play a delightful offload from Walters went into the hands of Jordan Baldwinson to crash over under the sticks. Patton was again on target and the Bulls were back six ahead.
On the half hour the Panthers gave the ball air to the right hand wide with Lachlan Walmsley taking the final pass from Joe Keyes to cross in the corner. Keyes added the conversion from wide and again the sides were locked up.
A Bradford penalty, after Halifax were offside, saw the boot of Patton edge the Bulls into a 14-12 lead and with seconds left on the clock a grubber kick from Patton skidded off the surface and was grounded by Kieran Gill. Patton was on target to give the Bulls an eight-point lead going into the sheds at the break.
Defences were in charge for the opening twenty minutes of the second half. A swinging arm from Ben Kavanagh on Tom Holmes saw the ´Fax man sin-binned on fifty-eight, the height of the hill that the Panthers had to climb had just increased.
But it was the twelve men who scored the first points of the second half when Jake Maizen took a Walmsley tap back to step inside and score from five metres out. Keyes hit the post with his conversion attempt, Halifax still four adrift.
On sixty-seven the game swung back in Bradford´s direction as Dec Patton dummied before passing to Tom Holmes, the Bulls full-back diving over from five metres out. Patton added the conversion for a ten-point lead.
A brilliant intercept try from Maizen, running ninety-five metres unopposed to go over under the uprights to set up a nail-biting finish. Keyes added the conversion to reduce the margin back to four points with four minutes remaining.
Despite Halifax pushing for the winning score the Bulls defence held firm in the closing seconds for a 26-22 win.
Bradford ended a four-game losing run against Halifax in great style with a high octane win which re-enforces the Bulls credentials as contenders in 2023. All credit to the Panthers who fought back time after time to ensure a close finish, but the points go to Odsal and it´s Bradford up into fifth spot.
Halifax Panthers: Woodburn-Hall, Walmsley (T), Maizen (2T), McComb, Saltonstall, Jouffret, Keyes (3G), Maher, Moore (T), Murray, Kavanagh (SB on 58), Gee, Tangata. Subs: Inman, Doro, Lannon, Calcott. 18th Man: Oakley.
Bradford Bulls: Holmes, Blackmore, Arundel, Gill (T), Roberts, Patton (5G), Lilley, Baldwinson (T), Flanagan Snr, Walters (T), Donaldson, Appo, Thompson. Subs: Scurr, Bibby, Wallace, Jowitt. 18th Man: Lawford.
Half-Time: 12-20.
Full-Time: 22-26.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 10-12, 12-12, 12-14, 12-18, 12-20 : HT : (SB), 16-20, 16-24, 16-26, 20-26, 22-26 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Bradford – Square – Bradford – Square - Bradford.
Referee: Tom Grant.
